#579 - The Incredible Life of Mary Kom
by Swayam Ganguly and illustrated by Mohit Suneja
“The Incredible Life of Mary Kom” by Swayam Ganguly and illustrated by Mohit Suneja. Published by Talking Cub, the children’s imprint of Speaking Tiger. A short biography of an incredible sportswoman who dared to create history.
M.C.Mary Kom came from a very humble background. She grew up in a little village in Manipur. Her parents worked very hard and did a multitude of jobs so that their children could have access to the best education possible. Mary lent them a helping hand as well. When her talent in sports came to light, Mary was sent to the city of Imphal to get professional training. Trying her hand at multiple sports, Mary found her calling in boxing which was very uncommon for women at the time. Boxing was the sport where she could use her strength, grit and agility to the best extent and it was of high appeal to her.
Braving many hurdles including having to convince her parents to continue with the sport initially, Mary began to excel. She won the World Boxing Championship six times creating a record. Along the way, she married footballer Karung Onkholer who became her strongest supporter and a pillar of strength. After becoming a mother, she took a brief break and returned to the sport to get back to her winning streak. There were numerous obstacles along her way but none could deter her from getting ahead. She became India’s first women’s boxing medallist in the Olympics when boxing was introduced in the 2012 edition. She came to be known as ‘the Queen of Boxing’ and ‘Magnificent Mary’ by the media. Read the book to know more about the incredible journey of this motivational sportswoman.
The exceptional story of Mary Kom left me as well as my ten and a half year old son awestruck. We were amazed by her determination, resilience, passion and perseverance throughout her career. We also loved how she never let success get into her head and remained humble and true to her roots. She continuously raised the bars for herself and fought against all odds like a true champion. Balancing her sporting career with her family life, it was awe inspiring to see her make a spirited comeback after becoming a mother. Her journey is inspirational for everyone and shows how dreams can come true when backed by qualities like hers. It was heartening to see how the little girl from a village made a name for herself as well as the country. Interesting facts about boxing as well as Manipur are interspersed in the narrative making it very appealing. Given his love for sports and real stories, my son loved the book.
The book is part of a series of short and illustrated biographies of Indian icons for younger readers by Talking Cub. The series aims to introduce readers to a diverse group of Indian achievers, both well-known and those who should be. The other books that we’ve read and loved in this series so far are on “Milkha Singh”, “Jhalkari Bai”, “Birsa Munda”, “Savitribai Phule”, “Bhagat Singh”, “Arati Saha”, “Anandibai Joshee” and “Satyendranath Bose”.
Recommended Age
The book is apt for children aged 10 and above.
Where to buy from?
The publishers Talking Cub here.
Disclaimer - We received this book from the publisher, Talking Cub, for review. Thank you to the folks at Talking Cub, for sending across the book!